Roomba 880 vs. Neato XV Signature Pro

Why buying a vacuum robot? To make your life easier, of course! Ideally, it should do its job silently and let you enjoy saved time in a clean environment. But, which robotic vacuum is the best? Most people know about Roomba, the market leader. This best seller by iRobot pioneered this niche market and continues to evolve since 2002. But, competitors are getting better and better. Most of them simply make clones of the Roomba. Neato Robotics has a different strategy. It introduces original features including what all geeks consider as mandatory in any dream robot: a laser! This is why in this article, we will be comparing the best vacuum robot from Neato: the XV Signature Pro with the latest Roomba 880.

Roomba 880

There are plenty of Roomba series and models, with different features and enhancements compared to the original. But, the latest Roomba 880 introduced what can be viewed as a true revolution. According to iRobot, its dual counter-rotating dirt extractors (see Video 1) require virtually no maintenance. No more entangled debris that require frequent dismounting and cleaning. A bonus feature is that extractors are supposed to break down dirt into smaller parts easier to suck.

Another interesting feature of the Roomba 880 is a combination of an optical sensor and an acoustic one for dirt perception. They ensure a better detection of dirtier areas and trigger the persistent cleaning behavior at the right spot. The first version of this focused cleaning function has been introduced on early versions Roomba, based on the acoustic sensor alone. Recently, it has been improved on some models of the 700 series with the addition of the optical sensor. It is this second version that is shipped on the 880.

Regarding the price, the Roomba 880 is expensive, costing approximatively $700. A cheaper alternative is to buy a Roomba from older series starting from $300. This obviously means that you won’t get all the nice features of the 880.

Video 1: Roomba 880

Neato XV Signature Pro

As we have already mentioned, Neato vacuums embed a laser (see Video 2). It makes a huge difference in cleaning behavior as compared to other vacuums. Competitors including the Roomba randomly bounce around the room. They do statistical cleaning, meaning that they are not 100% sure to cover a room, although in practice they are nearly there. The Neato has a more systematic approach. It scans the room to build a map of the area to clean. Based on the map, it moves around in a way that is closer to what a human actually do with a traditional vacuum. The laser has a secondary interesting consequence. The vacuum avoids furnitures without bumping into them. Moreover, it does not get trapped since it finds its way using the laser.

Video 2: Neato Robotic Vacuum Cleaners

Another interesting characteristic common to all Neato vacuums is that they are hacker-friendly. Their mini-USB port can be used not only for software updates, but also for programming. A detailed information is provided for programmers who want to experiment with the robot, read its sensor values, change the display, or control the motors.

Spot mode: make the robot clean only a small area. This is typically useful if you spilled something.

Now, let’s see the differences on the hardware level as summarized on Table 1. Both robots do equally well with a score of 2 over 4. The 880 has its unique tangle free brush that significantly reduces robot maintenance time. It also comes with a remote control. The Neato has an LCD which is more convenient for setting up the robot and scheduling its operations. Last, both robots are shipped with boundary markers to restrict the cleaned area. The difference here lies in the need for batteries. The Neato’s boundary marker is passive requiring no battery to operate. This results into less waste, making the Neato more eco-friendly than the Roomba.

Table 1: Neato XV Signature Pro vs. Roomba 880 – Hardware Differences

Table 2 summarizes the differences at the software level. The Neato is significantly superior to the Roomba at this level. The Signature Pro scores 4 over the 5 evaluated features, while the 880 scores only 1! The first three features of the Neato are consequences of embedding a laser. Since it builds a map of the room, the Signature Pro computes a path ensuring a methodical cleaning, while avoiding furniture. A nice consequence of this natural cleaning is that you can see the vacuum progress.

Table 2: Neato XV Signature Pro vs. Roomba 880 – Software Differences

On the contrary, with the Roomba, it is hard to distinguish dirty areas from clean ones until it’s almost done. This is because it moves randomly bouncing from one obstacle to the other. It can pass nearby some dirty spot and ignore it until much later. However, in case its sensors detect a location with a lot of dirt, the 880 switches to persistent cleaning mode. This mode consists in spending some time going back and forth on the dirty area.

The Neato does not have such focused cleaning mode, though this is somehow counterbalanced with systematic cleaning. A dirty spot nearby the robot will not be ignored too long. Besides, the Neato is more effective for cleaning large areas. In case it runs out of battery, the robotic vacuum will go back to its dock. Once recharged, it will resume cleaning at the same position where it did stop.

Conclusion

We recommend the Neato XV Signature Pro over the Roomba 880 even though the 880 innovates with the tangle free brush that should significantly decrease maintenance. The Signature Pro exhibits a more interesting behavior (systematic cleaning, avoid furnitures, and recharge and continue) thanks to its laser. We also love the Neato because it is open to programmers. Last but not least, the Signature Pro is significantly cheaper (approx. $450) compared to the Roomba (approx. $700).

14 Comments

Neato does come with a brush anti-tangle feature since the earlier models. The motor will stop spinning whenever it gets jammed up. As the robot continue to move, the brush will therefore be disengaged. Once free from entanglement, it will continue to spin.

This a problem common to all robotic vacuums. Note however that from our experience the Neato could overcome higher obstacles compared to competition. In your case, we suggest to use boundary markers to avoid having the Neato get trapped.

It doesn’t look like the robot is stuck (the video clearly shows the wheels moving freely). I wonder if this happens every time it comes by this area, or just this once? The robot has an internal map, and sometimes it gets mixed up and tries to reach a point on the other side of a wall (which looks like what it’s trying to do in the video).

The problem here is that the robot keep detecting obstacles in all directions. It tries to rotate or to move backward, but it detects some resistance (the carpet) and considers there’s an obstacle behind it. Anyway, in experiments we have conducted with the Neato, it could go in and out really narrow places (approx. an inch wider that itself). This is true with the Roomba too.

I just purchased an XV-21 (older model). I think the problem in the video has to do with the floor color more than anything. I have read that although it does well on black rugs/floors, sometimes it gets confused and thinks that there is an edge (cliff) that its going to tumble over, so it may be trying to protect itself as designed. My floors are lighter in color so I have not experienced this problem. It works quite well!

I purchased a Neato XV Signature Pro and so far after only a week I’m disappointed. I have cpme home to find it atuck. In different places and doesnt aeem ro have a pattern on cleaning. It acts more like the Roomba just cleaning here and there. I want to keep it but I am not getting the results claimed here. Anyone have any suggestions?

The Neato adapts its behavior to situations it faces. If you put it in a cluttered environment, it stops systematic cleaning and tries to find a way around obstacles. Try it in a room free at its center. The free area should be at least 6×6 feet large. If possible, pick a room without chairs and tables for this test. The Signature will first roam around, close to walls to build the map. Then, it will proceed systematic cleaning. If you don’t have this behavior, may be that you get a broken vacuum. Check with the seller.

I love my new Neato Signature Pro! I have used it for a week now and I’m really happy with it. It’s cleaning perfectly and hasn’t got tangled once. Tried it with wooden floors and fluffy rugs. I empty it and clean the filter everyday and it’s weird that there is so much dust every time and it’s cleaning everyday. I feel that the apartment is cleaner now.

I have had mine for a week and I love it. My yard is under construction so I have sand tracked everywhere. I swept at the minimum of twice a day and my hard wood floors still felt like a sand box. This already has saved me about 6 hours of work. The only downfall is that my couches are to low for it to go under and I wish it had side brushes for along the wall and furniture legs. I cannot say how much I love this thing. Clearly one of my favorite investments i have ever made.